


Consent to Marry

by Satinalis



Series: At the Void's Edge [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-14
Updated: 2015-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-07 13:49:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3175322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Satinalis/pseuds/Satinalis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With days to go until the Landsmeet, Elissa Cousland offers to serve at Alistair's side as his Queen despite being in a loving relationship with Leliana. But for the last of the Couslands, her duty to her King and Country outweighs matters of the heart. Besides, for once, it's her choice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Consent to Marry

Elissa had slipped out of the Great Hall as soon as the plates were cleared away, taking her wine filled goblet with her, as she went in search of a quiet corner where she could think. Alistair had taken to avoiding her since she had placed her suggestion on the table for the future. Due to his deeds, charm and wit, Alistair was already well on his way to gaining the Throne, but he missed a fundamental ingredient – a Queen. Arl Eamon had banded the idea Alistair should marry Anora. After all, she had five years of experience as Queen Consort to Cailan. While it was true, under Anora's stewardship, Alistair would not grow into the leader she knew he was under that armour. Anora would use him as a figurehead to enact her own laws leaving Alistair to flounder. So Elissa placed her cards on the table; as the daughter of Teyrn Cousland and having spent five years being groomed for a life in the Navarran Court, she was just as eligible to be Queen as Anora.

She'd been thinking about it for some time, ever since Eamon had proclaimed he would put Alistair on the Throne to overthrow Loghain. While she loved Leliana fiercely, in recent weeks it had become evident to Elissa that love was not enough to hold them together. Her lover wanted to travel, work with the Chantry and spread the Maker's word. There had also been the unfortunate incident with Marjoline which made Elissa wonder if Leliana could ever stop being a Bard. She did not want to get wrapped up in the intricacies of the Grand Game. Equally, she could not expect Leliana to submit to her desires for the future. Elissa wanted a life at court. Before her betrothal she had wanted to be court historian. Nothing was more appealing to her than spending hours wrapped up in books and papers. Thus she had put forward her suggestion to Alistair's problem.

However, Elissa had been surprised by Alistair's reaction. She had thought they were close enough it would seem like a viable option. Somewhere along the way, despite their initial dislike of each other, they had become the dearest of friends. She trusted him more than Leliana; confession she kept buried deep within her. She put it down to their shared bond as Wardens, but since the Deep Roads it had felt different, like the deep vein of care she had developed for him had transmuted into something else.

As she took a sip of the wine, savouring the taste of the last good Highever crop before the Blight, Elissa felt, rather than heard, Alistair's approach. Elissa looked over her shoulder to see him hovering in the doorway. While his confidence had greatly improved over the past year, when he was thrown a curve ball like the one she had done, he didn't always catch it. Besides, this was a pretty big step for him to take. Neither of them had expressed a desire for a romantic relationship with the other so to suggest marriage out of nowhere? It took her a moment to remember that while he was the son of King, he had not been raised as one. Therefore, marriage as an act of political security was not something he had previously had to think about.

'You shouldn't hover in doors,' she said as she placed her goblet on the wall of the balcony. 'You're going to be King; you should just step in and state your intention.'

'We don't know that for certain,' he said as she crossed the threshold. 'Elissa, I've been thinking about what you said in Eamon's study.'

She nodded, leaning against the railing looking up at Satina. She was bright tonight, shining on the city and making long, ghostly shadows on the dark ground.

'I need to know if you are sure?' he asked as he came to stand beside her.

Elissa glanced at him. He was looking out of the gardens so she took the opportunity to studied his face, noting he was incredibly handsome. It was a thought that had passed through her mind on many an occasion before now as they had grown closer.

'When have you ever known me suggest something I am not sure about?' she replied.

Alistair looked at her, his honey eyes searching her face for something. 'What about Leliana?'

She swallowed and exhaled. 'She and I, we're not really going in the same direction,' she confessed. 'I don't want a life travelling and spreading the word of the Maker.'

Elissa was certain she had told Alistair she was searching for a way to end things with Leliana without hurting her weeks ago. He had suggested she just pull like a plaster but she hadn't found the courage. She felt like a terrible person for leading her lover to believe all was well between them.

'So you want to spend it married to me?' he asked quietly, before he chuckled.

'There are worse fates in the world than being married to your dearest friend,' she replied, 'and helping him become the man I see in him.' She glanced at him. 'Will you at least sleep on it?'

'I shall,' he agreed as he looked out over the garden.

-…..-

It was nice being able to sleep in a bed, only Alistair was not sleeping. He had grown fearful of his nightly hours alone as the Archdemon's song grew stronger. He was having nightmares every night, all of them concluded with him being turned into the hideous monsters at the beck and call of the Archdemon. Tonight, however, he had other matters to dwell on. Elissa's words, all of them, circled in his mind. Her voice a soothing melody as he recounted the moment she had said she could marry him. She had devastated him by engaging in a relationship with Leliana but she would seek him out in her quietest moments, blessing him with hours of her time as she learned how to fight at his side, or meditated with him to gain the focus required accessing his Templar skills so he could teach her. Elissa had proven herself to be an apt pupil. His pain at being overlooked eventually vanished, until one night in the Deep Roads when she clung to him in horror. As he held her in his arms, he felt her draw closer, shudder then relax as she drifted off to sleep.

He closed his eyes and sighed. He'd accept her in a heartbeat were it not for the fact he was desperately in love with her while she was not in love with him. He opened his eyes again. Still, it was far better than the other options; Anora would eat him up alive while being married to some unknown daughter of the Bannorn just for his titles was not something he wanted. What was more Elissa would exercise her duties as Queen with great grace. He had no doubt she would also be an excellent tutor in the art of Fereldan politics. He sat up, the bed creaking under his weight. There was nothing to sleep on. His decision had been made the moment she opened her lips and said she would step up to serve by his side.

Alistair threw his legs over the side of the bed and pulled on a shirt. He could sense she was still awake. Since arriving in Denerim she had been keeping separate rooms from Leliana. She had told her lover it was so Leliana could rest without being forced awake by Elissa's increasing nightmares but it was just a stepping stone as she got closer to ending her relationship. It gave him pause to think since her nightmares had started on the road to Kinloch Hold, the onetime Elissa had slept soundly had been when she was curled in his arms. There was really nothing to think about.

He found her in the kitchen. Although she had told him he should just walk in and speak his mind, he paused to just look at her. She had tied her red hair from her face, but a few locks had escaped to frame her face, which made her eyes stand out all the more. Elissa had a beautiful heart shaped face that had soften in the year he had known her. She smiled more often, particularly in his company; it did her the world of good. Then he walked into the kitchen. She looked up from the book, leaving him in no doubt she had been aware he was there the whole time. Her expression was wary; perhaps a little worried, as she watched him move to sit opposite her.

'There is nothing to think about,' he said.

Elissa closed her book to give him her full attention. He couldn't quiet read the look in her eyes. 'I see,' she said softly, as she looked away.

'Elissa, there is no one else I can have at my side than you, if I am to do this properly,' he said.

She looked up again, surprised and he exhaled. 'Maker, Elissa, what did you think I was going to say?'

'Well you sort of disappeared after I suggested it. I assumed…'

'I was trying to figure out why you suggested it,' Alistair replied. 'I needed to know if you meant it because it would mean…'

Elissa shook her head with a soft huff of laughter. 'I know what it would mean,' she said. 'I am not so foolish as not to understand the union between husband and wife. I plan to commit to all my duties.'

He nodded sagely. 'Right, yes,' he said. 'But I was talking about Leliana.'

This time she nodded. 'It will be hard,' she admitted, 'but even if you had said no, then, it would be over.'

'Are you certain?' he asked her.

Elissa drew in a deep breath. 'I am,' she replied. 'On both counts.'

'Right,' he said, reaching over to her plate and taking a grape. 'So we break it to Eamon in the morning, but what about Anora? We'll need to deal with her.'

Elissa nodded her head. 'I have an idea on that front,' she said, 'but you have to trust me.'

-…..-

Leliana looked at Elissa in devastation. In response Elissa crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep, shaking breath.

'So after everything,' Leliana said quietly, 'this is it? I thought I meant more to you than this.'

Elissa closed her eyes. 'I promised my father I would do my duty, first and foremost as a Cousland. Don't ask me to go back on that,' she said softly, opening her eye, feeling tears forming at the corners of her eyes. 'Besides, the other option is Anora. If that happens, nothing will change.'

Leliana sighed and stepped up to her lover. 'I wondered if this might happen,' she said placing a hand on her arm. 'The moment Eamon mentioned placing Alistair on the Throne I knew I'd lose you to duty. That you would stay here in one capacity or another. Alistair needs you. If it's as Queen, then I can step aside from your life.'

Elissa looked her, placing her hand over Leliana's. She wanted to ask a million questions as she wondered how she could be okay with this. Perhaps she thought it was a temporary arrangement and eventually, Elissa would be able to reunite with her in a clandestine affair. But instead of asking all those questions, she whispered her thanks and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips.


End file.
